Little Black Dress Cake

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, separate out yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• powdered sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9" springform pan. Cut parchment to fit the bottom of the pan. Butter the parchment. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.
• Cream the butter with 1 cup sugar using a wooden spoon. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and nuts, then the chocolate.
• With a mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until foamy. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar until soft peaks form. Stir 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Add the remaining egg whites and sift the flor over the top. Gently fold the egg whites and flor into the chocolate, just until smooth. Pour into prepared pan, smooth the surface and bake for 30-35 minutes, until it just cracks. Let cool slightly and then unmold the cake and dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

• Source:
• "Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook"
• SERVINGS: 10
• SOURCE: Adapted from Susan Spungen